Paul Robinson Rothery, Jr.

Paul R. Rothery, 89, of Amherst, passed away after a long illness on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton. Paul was born on December 25, 1927 in Springfield, MA, the son of Paul R. Rothery, Sr. and Therese Tapley Rothery. A graduate of Springfield Technical High School, he served in the U. S. Army in South Korea from 1947-1948, and received his Bachelor of Science in Metallurgy in 1951 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

After graduation, Paul took a position as a metallurgical engineer at Hamilton Standard in Suffield, CT, where he raised two children with his first wife. In 1962, he joined his family business, Bay State Refining Company – a brass and bronze alloying company in Chicopee Falls, MA. He later became co-owner and manager with his brother, Frederick “Bud” Rothery.

In 1978, Paul married Carol Campbell Dersham and moved to Amherst, where he became active in the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst, serving as President of the Board, Chair of the Building and Maintenance Committee, and Chair of the Finance Committee. Paul loved to sail the Long Island Sound and the Caribbean, hike and ski the White Mountains, and bike with friends.  He took pleasure in weekend excursions with his family, spending time by the ocean, reading in the evening, and enjoying concerts, theater and museums.

But his greatest passion was music, especially classical and jazz. At MIT, while in the glee club, he formed a quartet called “The Logarhythms” which sang barbershop, folk, and college songs, and he loved the corny sense of humor they foisted upon their audiences. After his retirement, Paul led courses on Jazz Appreciation through the Five College Learning in Retirement program, and studied a wide range of subjects. He was a gentle spirit, loved by all who knew him. He will be remembered for his generosity, caring for others, intellectual curiosity, and sense of adventure.

Paul is survived by Carol Rothery, his wife of 38 years; daughter Jill Rothery and her children Emma and Christopher Rosati; son John Rothery; stepson David Dersham and his wife Molly Watkins; and stepdaughter D’Arcy Dersham. He is also survived by his children’s mother, Janice Angell McGuire, and many nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, November 18 at 11 am at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst. A reception will follow the service in the Willie Eaton Social Hall. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst.